Question 1

Darla recently moved into a new apartment and discovered that she could hear the people above her walking around all day long. At first this drove her crazy, but now she rarely notices it. This is called __________.

Accepted Answer

Habituaton is the process of becoming accustomed to a stimulus over time and no longer responding to it as strongly, which is what happened to Darla with the noise from her neighbors. Shaping involves gradually reinforcing behaviors towards a desired goal. Discrimination involves learning to distinguish between similar stimuli. Flooding is a form of therapy where a person is exposed to an extreme version of their fear to overcome it.

Question 2

__________ is relearning a conditioned response.

Accepted Answer

Spontaneous recovery is the relearning of a conditioned response that had been diminished following a period of extinction.

Question 3

Craig was stung by a jellyfish when he was little. Now Craig has a fear of all fish, as well as the ocean. Craig's fear has __________.

Accepted Answer

Craig's fear has generalized to all fish and the ocean, meaning he has developed a fear response to a broader category of stimuli beyond just the jellyfish that originally caused his fear.

Question 4

Terence and Alisha often look to their parents for how to behave in certain situations. This is known as __________.

Accepted Answer

Social learning refers to the process of learning by observing others, particularly those who hold authority and influence in one's life, such as parents or teachers. This type of learning involves the acquisition of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behaviors that are considered appropriate in one's social environment. Terence and Alisha are likely to develop their own behaviors and attitudes by watching and imitating their parents' behavior.

Question 5

A dog that eats canned food typically comes running to its owner when it hears the can being opened. The sound of the can opener in this instance is the __________.

Accepted Answer

The sound of the can being opened has become associated with the dog's prior experience of being fed canned food, so it has become a conditioned stimulus that elicits a conditioned response (the dog running to its owner). The unconditioned stimulus is the canned food itself, which naturally elicits an unconditioned response (the dog's desire to eat).

Question 6

Spencer has been naughty all day long, and his parents finally give him a time-out. What operant conditioning principle are they employing?

Accepted Answer

Spencer's parents are using negative punishment by taking away something desirable (in this case, his freedom to play or interact) to decrease the likelihood of the naughty behavior continuing.

Question 7

Shannon is terrified of spiders. To overcome her fear, she enters a room that contains spiders and touches one. This therapy is known as __________.

Accepted Answer

Flooding is a type of behavioral therapy where a person is exposed to their fear or phobia in a high-intensity manner until their anxiety decreases.

Question 8

Reversing conditioning to eliminate the conditioned response is referred to as __________.

Accepted Answer

Reversing conditioning to eliminate the conditioned response is referred to as deconditioning. The other options are different techniques used in behavior therapy but not specifically related to reversing conditioning.

Question 9

Extinction, in the context of classical conditioning, means the __________.

Accepted Answer

Extinction in classical conditioning refers to the elimination of a conditioned response. This occurs when the conditioned stimulus is repeatedly presented without the unconditioned stimulus, leading to a reduction in the strength or frequency of the conditioned response.

Question 10

Jake has had problems with alcohol abuse. He is in a program in which he takes a drug that will make him nauseous whenever he drinks alcohol. Jake is taking part in __________.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Jake has had problems with alcohol abuse....

Question 11

Trish's parents give her money for taking out the trash every once in a while. Trish can never predict exactly when she will get paid. What reinforcement schedule is this?

Accepted Answer

This is a variable-ratio reinforcement schedule because the reinforcement (getting paid) occurs after a varying number of behaviors (taking out the trash), making it difficult to predict exactly when the reinforcement will occur.

Question 12

A dog that eats canned food typically comes running to its owner when it hears the can being opened. The food in this instance is the __________.

Accepted Answer

The dog's natural response to the sound of the can being opened is to come running because it is associated with the unconditioned stimulus, which is the food itself. The dog does not need to be trained or conditioned to associate the sound of the can with food, as it is a natural response. Therefore, the food in this instance is the unconditioned stimulus.

Question 13

In the famous Bobo doll experiments, which children were more likely to copy the adult woman's actions?

Accepted Answer

The children who saw the woman be rewarded or receive no consequences were more likely to copy her actions, as they saw her behavior as acceptable or even desirable. The children who saw the woman be punished were less likely to copy her actions, as they saw her behavior as negative and something to avoid. Therefore B, C and D are incorrect.

Question 14

Melissa believes she can accomplish anything she wants to do in life. Ty believes life is a matter of chance and that people have little control for better or worse. Which of the following statements is likely to be true based on this information?

Accepted Answer

Melissa's belief in her own ability to accomplish anything she wants in life suggests a positive, proactive outlook, which is often associated with success. Ty's belief in chance and diminished personal agency suggests a more passive, reactive outlook, which may limit his ability to achieve his goals.

Question 15

Edward Thorndike's research confined cats to puzzle boxes. When the cats pressed a lever or pulled a string, a door would open and the cats would escape and be rewarded with food-a combination of __________ and __________.

Accepted Answer

Thorndike's research is an example of negative reinforcement (escape from the box) and positive reinforcement (receiving food), as the cats' behaviors were encouraged through the removal of an unpleasant situation and the addition of a pleasant one.

Question 16

Ben doesn't believe in luck. He thinks that everything that happens to him in life is a result of choices he made and actions he took. Ben exemplifies a(n) __________.

Accepted Answer

Ben's belief that his life outcomes are a result of choices he made and actions he took demonstrates an internal locus of control. This means that Ben believes that he has control over his life and can influence the outcomes through his own efforts, rather than relying on luck or external factors.

Question 17

Students who go far away from home for college may have different personalities from those who stay closer to home, and the experience of being far away from home may shape their personalities. This is an example of __________.

Accepted Answer

Reciprocal determinism is the concept that a person's behavior is influenced by both their environment and their personal characteristics, which in turn can shape their environment. In this scenario, the environment (being far from home for college) may shape the student's personality (personal characteristic). Therefore, this is an example of reciprocal determinism. Self-actualization is the idea that people have an inherent drive to reach their full potential, psychodynamic theory focuses on the unconscious mind and childhood experiences, and classical conditioning is a type of learning where a behavior is associated with a particular stimulus. None of these theories fully apply to the scenario presented.

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

Classical conditioning is based on the association of two stimuli that are not normally associated with each other. This forms a learned response to a previously neutral stimulus.

Question 19

F. Skinner's classic experiments with animals relied on __________.

Accepted Answer

Skinner's experiments were based on the principle of reinforcing behavior through positive reinforcement, such as giving a reward for performing a desired action. This method of reinforcement helps to increase the likelihood of the behavior being repeated.

Question 20

Who came up with a theory of personality that argues that a personality arises from the environment's effect on behavior, behavior's effect on the environment, and the way people process their experiences?

Accepted Answer

Bandura came up with the Social Learning Theory, which argues that personality arises from the environment's effect on behavior, behavior's effect on the environment, and the way people process their experiences.

Quiz 8: How Learning Shapes Behavior